Who said powder is fun
I live in Hakuba for the powder but for some people it is all about the blue bird days. The great thing about Hakuba is that we get these huge dumps of snow and then we usually get some clear days to enjoy the magnificent vistas here. It is a place that will suit everyone. Check out some accomodation options here
Sandy drove up from Yokohama and lost his car in the snow
We have a lot of guests who drive up from Tokyo for their ski trip. They are happy to park their car for the week and have us drive them around in our free shuttle service which takes them to all of the nine resort areas in Hakuba. We always remind our guests that they should have snow tyres or chains as it may snow while they are here. We are happy to help our guests dig their cars out and we order the dozer to come around on the big dumps. A Navi is a good idea also in Japan.
We get a mixed bag of injuries come through the hotel but thankfully nothing too serious. Today I was asked to operate on a sprained finger that just happened to have a wedding ring on it. The swelling was quite pronounced and throbbing so the guest asked me for a pair of wire cutters and then asked me to cut the ring off. No small task considering there was no room for error. Well I did the job and then remembered we actually had a doctor staying with us who had a look at the finger and suggested to tape 2 together for the days skiing. We have a lot of doctors staying with us at the White Horse which has come in handy over the years. Disaster averted and another great powder day for Petri.
Another satisfied customer.
Off piste powder in Hakuba.
Another awesome powder day and I was able to share some time on the mountain with some of our guests. The Finnish family along with sole traveller Vic and I were all up on the first lifts. There was another foot of fresh on top of what had fallen the previous days. My time to get on the mountain is usually first thing in the morning. Fresh tracks in powder or on the groomers is the best for me and it is always great to be able to share that time with new friends. I took Vic to some of my secret spots and allowed him to drop into my favourite bowl for first tracks. He was pretty happy.
The taxi service will take you direct to the start of the enchanted forest trail that leads to the monkeys
The Monkey Onsen is a great side trip to do on a lay day in Hakuba. There are organised tours available however it is quite easy to arrange for yourself and a lot cheaper. We will drop you off at the bus station in the morning for a trip into Nagano. There is a train to Yudanaka on the opposite side of the station. If you get a little disorientated you can talk to the people at the information center. If you purchase the cheapest ticket you can use the fare adjustment machine at the other end. Once you get to Yudanaka you will see the taxi service which will take you to the trail that leads to the snow monkeys. Come and have a chat to me at the hotel for some extra tips.
The Fins sure know how to ski
Greeting all to the New Year. 2010 – where does the time go. Well what better way to see in the new year than to have more snow falling and to get out on the mountain. We have a family from Finland staying with us and one of the sons is a Finnish junior freestyle champion. The whole family were very competant skiers and all said that they had never seen so much snow. Another group of converts to the Hakuba powder machine. It was great getting out on the mountain with them and watching them rip it up.
The White Horse Bar in Echoland is alway a great place to be on New Years Eve
New Years Eve in Hakuba is always a lot of fun with everybody in a very festive spirit. It should be noted for those coming over at that time that it is a traditional holiday period for Japan and Hakuba is probably at it’s busiest so book your accommodation early. We always have a big night here at the hotel to see in the new year with most people racing off to bed 15 minutes later so they are refreshed for the morning ski. There are also a few who will head out to one of the bars or clubs in Echoland and have a big night out. The smart ones have put in their order for a bacon and egg sandwich in anticipation of a late start. Breakfast is between 7 and 9am. Coffee is always on.
You would certainly feel this if it landed on you
The next big storm has started and we are more prepared this time with our shovels. There is a lot of snowclearing machinery in Hakuba to deal with the massive quantities of snow that is unleashed into the valley. Until it is experienced most people have no comprehension of what such a huge amount of snow can do to an area. Everybody should be very careful when walking under eaves. The areas at either end of the White Horse Arctic are very dangerous with massive overhangs that eventually break off and crash to the ground. There is no reason to go into these areas so we do not have warning signs however we do remind parents with children to ensure they stay off the mounds of snow there.
Pig on the road. There is lots of wildlife in the Valley
Hakuba is a country town in the Japanese Alps surrounded by big mountains and National parklands. I was reminded today of how close we are to nature when an inoshishi (wild boar) made its way into town. It jumped out onto the road and caused havoc with cars and buses trying to avoid hitting it. When it charged one of our cars I realised that it is a wild animal that should not be disturbed. A warning to anybody who does see any of the wildlife here, please be careful and it is best not to approach it.
From the Valley floor to the top in amongst the clouds is 1071 verticle meters of ski runs.
Some big fat snow flakes falling outside my office window this morning in Echoland. Quite wet snow in fact however as mentioned previously the mountains rise up suddenly from the Valley floor to over 1000 meters of verticle so when you go up on the lifts the snow is light and dry. Good reports back from the mountain with everybody happy with the conditions although there was some times when the cloud came in and the visability wasn’t so good.
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